Album review: We Remember Dennis Brown is a fitting tribute to a reggae maestro

The two-CD set by various artists dedicates one disc to Brown’s political and devotional songs, while disc two covers his romantic side.

We Remember Dennis Brown by Various Artists. Courtesy VP Records

We Remember Dennis Brown

Various artists

(VP Records)

Three-and-a-half stars

When Dennis Brown died in 1999 at the age of 44, reggae lost one of its smoothest performers. Now he is receiving his long deserved tribute.

This 30-track, two-CD set dedicates one disc to Brown's political and devotional songs, including Words of Wisdom, Promised Land and Wolves and Leopards. Disc two covers Brown's romantic side, featuring tracks such as Money In My Pocket, one of his signature tunes, Love Has Found Its Way and If I Had the World.

Among the many highlights are R&B singer Marsha Ambrosius' take on Have You Ever, lover's rock maestro Gyptian's How Could I, Hawaiian band The Green's inspiring Promised Land and former Black Uhuru frontman Michael "Mykal" Rose's tongue-tripping Easy Take It Easy.

As often happens with reggae artists, Brown’s discography is so extensive – dozens of albums and hundreds of singles – that it can be difficult to know where to start.

That said, We Remember Dennis Brown is a decent primer on the man Bob Marley dubbed the Crown Prince of Reggae. If anyone, the King should know.